Lakeland hit with more job cuts as tech company lays off 98

A global technology company is laying off nearly 100 employees in Lakeland — days after another local employer announced it was slashing 203 jobs.

HCLTech, based in India, notified state officials in a letter dated Feb. 17 that it was cutting 98 jobs at “a client worksite” in the city. According to the letter, which was sent by HCL America to meet federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act requirements, the site is at 1200 Bartow Road, building 302.

The company does not name the client and a spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday afternoon.

But the address for the “client worksite” matches that of Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corp. which in August. announced it was laying off 136 employees. In a similar WARN letter, it wrote that it was “transitioning certain responsibilities to two third-party vendors” as part of new operating model.

One of the vendors was HCL and the other IBM.

HCL, in its Feb. 17 letter, says that the layoffs will begin April 20 and last through Nov. 15, with two service delivery leads staying on until next year.

As for those being laid off, the company says in the letter that they will be considered for other jobs in the company or with clients based on their expertise.

HCLTech employs 226,300 people across 60 countries according to a press release issued Feb. 17, the same day the WARN notice was sent, announcing it had been named to Forbes Canada’s Best Employers list.

According to the release, the company provides AI, digital, engineering, cloud and software services to industries including financial services, manufacturing, life sciences and health care.

Its total revenue for the 12 months ending in December was $14.5 billion.

The HCLTech news comes about eight days after DHL Supply Chain announced it was shutting down a local distribution center and cutting 203 jobs starting in April.